Ta’zieh In Toot Village of Yazd

Ta’ziyeh is a kind of passion play, which is usually performed to narrate the events related to the martyrdom of Imam Husayn and his honorable companions in Karbala. Ta’ziyeh has ancient historical roots and today it is held in many places, especially in the months of Muharram and Safar every year, as a long-standing tradition. Yazd Province is one of the ancient regions of Iran the customs of which for mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (AS) is quite famous. Even though many Ta’ziyehs are organized and performed in the mourning centers and husayniyyas of different cities and villages of Iran, Toot village is famous for holding this ritual in a special way. It is said that the reason for the name of this village of Ardakan City is the presence of many mulberry (toot in Persian) trees in it.

The Features of Ta’ziyeh Performed in Toot Village

The exact origin of Ta’ziyeh is not known, but some historians consider it related to the pre-Islamic era, while others consider it to be an evolved form of early Shiite mourning ceremonies held for the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (AS) and other martyrs of Karbala and believe that the first Ta’ziyehs were founded in Iran during the rule of Buyid dynasty (10th century AD). This art reached its peak during the Qajar era and became very popular. Later, when the Pahlavi government came to power, Reza Shah (reigned from 1925 to 1941 AD) made a lot of effort to abolish religious rituals, but once he was overthrown, the ritual of Ta’ziyeh was revived. In terms of the style of performance, the use of musical instruments, and the way artists play roles, Ta’ziyeh has undergone many changes in comparison to how it was done in the past, but it continues to be welcomed and appreciated by the people of Iran. The type of Ta’ziyeh, which has been performed for more than 100 years in Toot village, has preserved its traditional style. The people of the village refer to an endowment deed written in 1126 AH (1714 AD) to indicate the longevity of this ritual in their village. According to the statements of the local people, even when Reza Shah had banned the holding of any kind of mourning ceremony and dealt with it severely, Ta’ziyeh continued to be performed in this village and it has not been interrupted even for a year.

In this village, Ta’ziyeh is usually held for five days in the last decade of the month of Safar. In the course of this program, thousands of people come to this small village to watch several performances in the “Husayniyyas of the Toot of Ardakan”. Some of those who come to Toot from nearby villages, walk the path and believe that this act of their will be rewarded in the afterlife. In addition to performing Ta’ziyeh, the ritual of “Nakh Gardani” is also held in this village during the last days of the month of Safar. This ceremony usually starts with “Chavoshi-khani” (bidding farewell), and after chest-beating, lamentation, and the custom of “Nakhl Gardani”, Ta’ziyeh is performed.

Most of the artists and practitioners of Toot Village have participated in this ritual as a family and have inherited their presence in the ceremony from their fathers and forefathers. This feature has caused the ritual of Ta’ziyeh in Toot Village to maintain its originality and is still held in its traditional style. It is a custom that one of the clans hold the ceremony every night. In the course of the performance of the program, the mourners are fed with food and drinks provided by people’s offerings. A syrup made of Echium amoenum is one of the delicious and famous drinks served in this ceremony.

National Ta'ziyeh Registration of Tut Village

The ceremony of performing Ta’ziyeh in Toot Village was inscribed on the list of Iran’s intangible national heritage in the year 2009.